Ministering to Those Experiencing Fear
by Chaplain Suzanne Leahy, MAR
Cancer Treatment Centers of America/Western Regional Medical Center
The word cancer can itself cause a fearful shudder in any of us, but once someone is actually diagnosed with cancer, everything in life changes -- forever. People are thrown into new territory, foreign territory -- territory each person has to travel through on his own. In spite of all the care and support loved ones offer, there is only one patient, and only the patient understands how he feels. During this critical and vulnerable time, how do we as caregivers, church members, neighbors and friends support and interact with cancer patients in an authentic, meaningful and hope-giving manner?
In my experience as a chaplain, ministering to cancer patients in both a hospice and treatment center setting, the emotion I see most often is fear. Whether it is fear of needles, fear of chemotherapy, fear of losing one’s hair, fear of the MRI process, or the ultimate fear of death, patients are desperate for comfort and relief of their fears. As caregivers we must be able to address these fears and face them head on if we hope to provide this relief. We cannot deal in false hope or in deceit, but we must honestly approach the topic and be willing to walk with our loved one through the process of examining fear.
As a chaplain, my role is to direct patients toward God to find strength and peace … to go to God with their fears. I have found the book of Psalms to be very helpful, since most of the book was written by people facing suffering and fear. God is referred to in many comforting ways in the Psalms. He is described as our Rock, our Strong Tower, our Fortress, our Deliverer, our Salvation -- all things that people in trouble would be glad to find. Psalm 62 specifically says,
1 My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
In the first two verses, David is making a statement that his soul finds rest in God. Then in verses 5 and 6 he speaks to himself, to remind himself of the things he knows are true about his God. What has happened between these two sets of verses that made David need to speak truth to himself, to remind himself?
3 How long will you assault a man?
Would all of you throw him down—
this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
4 They fully intend to topple him
from his lofty place;
they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
but in their hearts they curse.
Matthew Henry, in his Commentary on Psalm 62, says “Trusting in God, the heart is fixed. If God be for us, we need not fear what man can do against us… If God will save my soul, I may well leave every thing else to his disposal, knowing all shall turn to my salvation. And as David's faith in God advances to an unshaken steadfastness, so his joy in God improves into a holy triumph.”
The beauty of David’s approach to his fear (vs. 3-4) is that he goes back over what he knows to be true about God (vs. 5-6). The result is that he can then say, as the Psalm continues and comes to a close,
8 Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.
11 One thing God has spoken,
two things have I heard:
that you, O God, are strong,
12 and that you, O Lord, are loving…
David’s focus shifts from fear to the character of God, and from there, he finds peace. He tells us to trust in God at all times (v.8), but it’s not easy to trust someone else with our lives … perhaps even harder to trust someone with the life of someone we love!
How could David say this and how did he accomplish it in his own life? The answer is fairly simple: David knew God’s character. Think about it: do we trust people we don’t even know? Not usually! It takes time to get to know someone, to learn about them before we trust ourselves into their care or confidence. Why would it be different when we talk about God? Getting to know God requires the time of reading the Bible, talking with other people of faith, asking God to give us direction. Then as we know him better, the less we fear, for we know our lives are in the safest, most gentle and loving hands.
For the cancer patient, time may not be something he or she has a lot of. How do we help them learn to trust God in the midst of chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, side effects, pain and the general concerns of life aside from cancer? In my opinion, it’s by teaching others about God’s character; who he really is rather than who they may think he is. We do this by going through the Scriptures and finding examples of God’s character that let him shine, that let Him surprise the patient with his beauty. Depending on the patient’s condition, this may have to be one short verse of Scripture. Even the shortest verse in the Bible, John 11:35 “Jesus wept,” tells us a lot about our Lord’s character.
When we look to the Old Testament, we find many different names for God, each highlighting an aspect of his character. Think about the peace that can come when a cancer patient or caregiver meditates on God as Jehovah Rapha, the Lord that heals. Think about the relief from worry over finances as our loved ones think about Jehovah Jireh -- the Lord will provide. Think about the security of knowing God as El Roi -- the God who sees. He knows all about our suffering and even the outcome --nothing (certainly not cancer!) has slipped past his gaze!
The only antidote to fear is trust in the true and living God who knows all things, is in control at all times and has a perfect plan that He will complete, as he tells us in Phil. 1:6. As we minister to fearful, hurting patient,s we must make every effort to teach God’s character; thereby offering them peace that is incomprehensible -- no matter what comes.